Daily
by liz-macgregor
Summary: “Rory,” he said, touching her elbow and guiding her towards his friend. “Allow me the pleasure of introducing my good friend. Jess Mariano,” he addressed the boy now to his left, “this is my friend Rory Gilmore.”
1. First Meetings and Old Aquaintances

**Prologue**

_Sticks and stones_

_May break my bones_

_But words will never hurt me_

"Every Haden man has gone to Princeton, but not Christopher. That girl ruined everything for him."

Rory lay, curled up in her twin bed, her father's father's words running through her mind. It was in that instant something was decided.

She sat up, one thought running through her head. With previously unknown emotion, she began to tear at the Harvard memorabilia on her wall. Pennants and all were soon resting, somewhat bedraggled, in the wicker wastebasket beside her computer desk.

She took a moment to stare at her once loved collection of crimson before sitting resolutely before her new computer. Pulling up her browser, she typed quickly in a simple website.

_www. princetonu .edu_

**Three Years Later**

_Not a lot right now makes sense to me_

_And I won't go quietly_

_Not a lot right now makes sense to me_

_And I won't sit patiently_

_I'm gonna chase my dreams_

_And catch up to them_

_I'm gonna find you_

_Somehow, someway_

_Somewhere, someday_

"Okay, kid. It's your first day of college. How are you feeling?"

Lorelai Gilmore looked worriedly at her daughter, who was at this very moment staring wide-eyed at the large gate marking the entrance of Princeton.

"I'm feeling very small."

"Well," Lorelai smiled, trying to lighten the situation, "that's to be expected. Come on, let's unload this thing." Lorelai gestured back to Luke's truck. Luke was currently struggling to pull a new mattress off the truck's bed.

* * *

"Jaime!" Rory had just spotted a familiar face. Her friend Paris' boyfriend of one year was talking to another boy. Jaime was standing, arms crossed, while the other boy was leaning casually against a coffee cart. Both were holding paper cups. Jaime's head turned as her heard Rory's voice.

"Rory, how do you like Princeton?" Jaime asked, walking up to meet Rory. The boy he was talking to followed, but stayed far enough away so as to not intrude on their conversation.

"It's alright," Rory smiled.

Jaime's smile widened as he asked his next question. "How is Paris doing in Cambridge?"

"She's doing well," Rory said. Jaime looked like he wanted to know more. "She'd be doing better if you were there, though."

Jaime, looking pleased, remembered his manners. "Rory," he said, touching her elbow and guiding her towards his friend. "Allow me the pleasure of introducing my good friend. Jess Mariano," he addressed the boy now to his left, "this is my friend Rory Gilmore."

Jess Mariano looked Rory up and down, and she felt a bit uncomfortable at his intense gaze.

"And Rory, "Jaime turned to her, "this scoundrel I am ashamed to admit is my closest companion, Jess."

Rory held her hand out to Jess. "Nice to meet you," she said, eager for him to break his stare.

He blinked, looking at her hand. Ignoring it, he gave her a curt nod, and turned to Jaime. "Jay, I'm going to class. Apparently, being late was alright when I was just a reporter, but now that I'm managing editor I have to actually show up on time."

Jaime laughed deeply. "Of course," he said amicably, "you are now Alicia's right hand man," he paused, lowering his voice so far Rory almost miss the last bit, "in more ways than one." Jaime lightly punched Jess in the arm.

Just then, a tinkling of girly music filled the air. Jess looked embarrassed as he answered his phone. "Alicia?" he said into the phone. "Yeah I'll be right there."

Jaime grinned, a flash of innocent evil in his eyes, "Oh no. This is just too good."

"I know. I'm on my way." Jess closed his phone. He shot a glare at Jaime that Rory was sure could, if not kill, at least seriously injure any living thing within a fifty foot radius. "Don't say anything." His voice was deep, threatening almost.

"Oh my god," Jaime started, amused, "you gave her a special ring tone."

"I'm leaving," Jess said, "I don't have to take this."

Jaime said nothing, but made a "whipping motion with his arm. Jess' face burned crimson, and he turned hurriedly in the direction of a large brick building.

"Sorry about Jess," Jaime said, turning to Rory again. "It takes a while for him to like new people." He stopped for a second. "If truth were to be told, it talks a while for people to like him." He smiled good-naturedly.

"So Jess is editor of-" Rory started, but Jaime cut her off.

"The Daily Princetonian, yes. And he's only the managing editor. Alicia Stone is the big chief."

"And she and Jess are together?"

"You could say that," Jaime said. "They haven't really 'defined their relationship.'" He used finger quotes around that last part. "Or so Alicia says," Jaime continued. "Which is why she thinks it's okay to still sleep with other guys. Jess is crazy about her, though. So it's easy to see why he's not too keen on the situation."

Immediately, Jaime realized he had said too much. "Don't tell Jess I told you all that stuff."

"I won't," Rory said. "Oh crap." She looked at her watch. "I'm late for class."

"Which class?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Rory smiled at her friend, "I'm the newest reporter for the Daily Princetonian."


	2. Editors and Intrigue

_**Author's Note: Hello everyone! Alright, I guess I have a bit of explaining to do. Rory decides to go to Princeton after hearing Christopher's father say that she ruined her father's future. Jess is at Princeton. You'll find out how he got there, why he's there... all that jazz in this chapter... I really like Jaime, and so I put him in my story. Jess is related to Luke, but he doesn't actually know Luke. He might meet him later in the story, I'd have to think about that. **_

_**I noticed a couple of errors in my last chapter... I'm sorry about that. I'm a real write, post, then read over type of gal. I'm usually really good about not having errors, but I am human, and I do slip up every once and a while. **_

_**I don't really like this chapter very much, but here it is. **_

_**Oh! I forgot.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Gilmore Girls. The only characters in this story (so far) that are mine are Joanne and Alicia.  
**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

**In the Newsroom**

_This is how it works_

_You're young until you're not_

_You love until you don't_

_You try until you can't_

_You laugh until you cry_

_You cry until you laugh_

_And everyone must breathe _

_Until their final breath_

"Okay everybody, Alicia wants this issue done by noon, so photogs, meet with me over here." Joanne, the photography editor was pacing up and down between the desks of the Daily Princetonian's newsrooms. Her voice was higher and slightly squeakier than usual.

Jess half sat/half leaned on his desk. The "Managing Editor" plaque in all of its bronze glory didn't really fit in with the rest of the item on the cluttered surface. His laptop rested on a stack of books. A tower of paperwork and manila folders was haphazardly perched on the edge of the desk. Pens, pencils, and notebooks filled with a messy scrawl were sprinkled on top, just for a touch of flavor.

One other thing looked out of place. Right next to the "Managing Editor" plaque was a picture frame. The frame was silver and held a picture of Jess and a girl. Jess' dark hair and olive skin contrasted brilliantly with the girl's white blonde curls and fair pale skin.

"Jo," Jess said from his place at his desk, "we haven't missed a day since the Princetonian became daily in 1892. Relax."

He sat down to edit some pages that had just been placed on his desk a second before.

Just then, the bell above the room's door rang.

"I hate that damn bell," Jess said, somewhat to himself. "What do you want?" he said, looking up. His warm brown eyes cooled a few degrees as they met ice blue ones. "Oh," Jess' voice was lower, "it's you."

Rory stared from across the room, wondering why this boy- no, why this man had acquired such a sudden distaste for her. "I'm the new reporter."

Jess whipped a piece of paper out from the stack next to him. "Lorelai 'Rory' Gilmore," he read aloud, "from Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Graduated from Chilton Preparatory top of the class. Birthday in October. Your mother had you when she was sixteen." Here he paused. "You like any kind of junk food. You were managing editor of your school's paper and your grandmother is a member of the DAR." He started to set down the piece of paper, but stopped. "Oh," he added, "and you like Ayn Rand."

Rory was stunned. The other reporters looked on, not surprised at all.

"How did you know all of that?" Rory asked, incredulously.

He smirked. "I know a lot of things, _Lorelai_." His voice was teasing. It was almost mean, but didn't quite reach that line.

Rory was speechless. Suddenly, a light and airy voice filled the room.

"Don't worry, Rory. Jess can be a bit annoying. But there's a reason he was our best investigative reporter." The girl from the picture on Jess' desk had walked out of a door labeled "Editor in Chief." She held out her hand to Rory. "I'm Alicia Stone, your new editor."

Her eyes were strange. A thin blue line raced around the edge of her iris. Inside that was a thick ring of what can only be described as forest green. Inside the green was a ring of brown, flicked with gold. They caught Rory off-guard, but she managed to respond.

"Nice to meet you Alicia," she took Alicia's pixie-like hand in her own clumsy one and shook it once. Rory couldn't help smiling as Alicia grinned at her. There was something magnetic about this girl, with her hair the color of the white hot sun and her extraordinary eyes.

"Here," Alicia said, taking hold of Rory's arm as if they'd known each other forever, instead of five minutes, "let me show you around here. Then we can talk about your first assignment."

* * *

**Four Hours Later**

_Here's to us fools that have no meaning_

_I tip my glass to you_

_Let's toast the night away to friends_

_And forget about tomorrow  
_

Jess was sprawled out under his favorite tree, a book in hand. He was trying to read, but someone kept invading his thoughts. As a pair of blue eyes floated in his head, a pair of electric green ones popped in front of him.

"How's Rory doing on the paper?"

"Jay," Jess whined, "I was reading."

Jaime plucked the book from his hands to see where he was. "You were on this chapter at the coffee cart, so don't bullshit me. How did things get on with Rory?"

Jess sat up, leaning his back on the tree's damp trunk. "How the hell should I know?"

"Uh, I don't know Jess," Jaime began sarcastically, "you're just the managing editor of the paper. Aren't you, like, 'in charge' of the writers?"

"Alicia was showing her around when I left. She's in good hands. Why do you care so much?"

Jaime looked around, as if to make sure that Rory was not hiding behind a bush and about to pop out. "Rory's kind of like a sister to me," he started. "She's had a rough month. Her boyfriend of three years dumped her when she told him she wasn't going to go to the state school with him. Her father, Christopher and her stepmother Sherry were in a car crash and her mother Lorelai is looking after her half-sister Gigi."

Jaime gave Jess a pleading look. "Please, Jess," he continued, "just don't harass her too much."

Jess just nodded. He felt a pang of guilt, but one thought overran his mind as Jaime stood and walked away.

_How did I not come across this in my research?_

* * *

Jess Mariano was nineteen years old. He was a sophomore at Princeton University, and he was the only person in his family ever to go to college. His mother was a drunk, and Jess hadn't spoken to her since he was emancipated at the age of sixteen. He'd worked hard in school, but not because he really wanted to succeed. He only wanted to prove his mother wrong; prove that he wasn't just a failure like his father.

His father… He didn't know his father. Jimmy had walked out on his mother when Jess was still in diapers. Jess had no real desire to see Jimmy, and Jimmy had no real desire to see Jess.

Jess knew he had an uncle, but his mother had never spoken much of him. All Jess knew was that his name was Luke, and he lived somewhere in Connecticut.

Jess got a scholarship to Princeton, based somewhat on his grades, but mostly on his essay. His essay on the "adulthood that had been forced upon him and ultimately shaped his life" had been what really impressed the ties and suits on the Princeton Scholarship Committee.

So here he was, sitting beneath a shady oak tree, basking in the "know-it-all-ism" that came with going to an Ivy League school, totally out of place but completely belonging at the same time.

In his nineteen years of existence, very few things had intrigued him ( Hemingway, why MTV was popular, and grapes, just to name a few). He had never been one to be confused. His eyes didn't glaze over in Advanced Organic Chemistry. He didn't draw a blank when faced with infinitives and proper clauses. Perhaps that is why he was feeling less than cordial to this new girl.

Rory Gilmore more than intrigued him—she fascinated him. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, and this annoyed him. The feeling in the pit of his stomach was akin to nothing he'd felt before.

He couldn't stop thinking about her.

She was still on his mind when he picked up Alicia at 7 o'clock that night.

* * *

_**Author's Note: So, there it is. I know, I actually **_**killed_ Christopher. What can I say? I really don't like him._**

**_Please review! I want to know what you think (good or bad... please, be honest, but not brutal). Bashers will be laughed at.  
_**


	3. Recollections and Late Night Meetings

_**Author's Note: Thanks everyone so much for the reviews. They are my coffee... except not really, because nothing could replace my coffee. **_

_**To CatPhish: I'm sorry if my spelling of Jaime/Jamie offended you (or anyone else for that matter). I've seen it spelled both ways, and in my personal opinion, Jaime seems so much more... how can I say this? "Upper Crust-y?" Yeah, that' s what I wanted to say. But please, don't let my spelling of a name deter you from reading my story. I really enjoy everyone's reactions.**_

_**I wrote this on Notepad, because I'm at my grandmother's house. She has dial-up and no Microsoft Word. I combed through it, but if I missed something, I'm sorry.**_

_**Enjoy!

* * *

  
**_

**7:15 at Alicia's Apartment **

_All we have at the end of the game _

_Is the lonely road out _

_All I know at the end of the day _

_Is I love to smile now _

_Even if that's fake _

_All I know is I'm done acting _

_And I'll be happy for your life _

_Even if I hate it all_

* * *

"You're late." Alicia's face was kind, but her voice held a slight acidity.

"Alicia," Jess said, moving swiftly aside as she breezed past him, "I'm sorry. I was writing and I lost track of time."

Alicia scoffed. "You and that silly book. Don't you know you're future lies in reporting? She threw an appraising look at the young man behind her. His shoulders had slumped just slightly. "Babe, I know you. I know you better than anyone. Trust me when I say this: sitting around working of a seven million page novel isn't going to make you happy."

"Whatever," Jess said, sliding into the driver's seat of his used Sentra.

Alicia took a moment to look at her latest fling. He was cute, handsome even. His tousled black-brown locks fell in his eyes, curling slightly at the ends. His dark eyes, so filled with passion, darted around as he impatiently adjusted the rear-view mirror. She noticed a white scar from his life in New York, standing out against the olive skin of his forearm as he pushed his long sleeved black t-shirt up to his elbows.

She liked him, she really did. But he was young. Jess was two years her junior, and as much as it hurt her, she didn't want him to get too attached. She was leaving in the fall-- off to the Chicago Tribune, where she had been offered a prestigious internship. The sound of Jess' voice shook her from her reverie.

"Leece, come on," he said, his quota of patience running dangerously low, "The show starts in five minutes."

* * *

Rory Gilmore was drowning.

Okay, so she wasn't literally drowning. But that's what it felt like as she surrounded herself with the books and paperwork needed for her first assignment. She poured diligently through each document, assessing not only it's meaning, but it's overall helpfulness to the story.

Earlier, Alicia told her about a slight disagreement between Princeton's marching band director and football coach. Apparently, the tiff had resulted from a misplaced football helmet being found in a tuba player's bell. Rory originally thought that the idea was stupid. But as she went through statement after statement, record after record, she realized that the rift between the football team and marching band had existed long before the infamous helmet incident.

As she slowly pieced together her story, Rory's mind began to wander. Her thoughts drifted to earlier that day in the Princetonian's newsroom.

_"Does he do that with everyone?" Rory asked, slightly awed by the amount of information Jess had collected.  
_

_A junior, the photography editor who had introduced herself as Joanne, smiled understandingly. "He gathers information for every new addition to the staff." Rory still looked confused. Joanne continued, "He says it keeps him sharp."  
_

_"Right," Rory said, drawing the word out. She watched Alicia leaning over Jess' desk, murmuring things under her breath, making him smirk The she glanced back at Joanne. They were total opposites.  
_

_Alicia was tall and stick thin. Rory thought that she would be more at home on a runway than in a stuffy newsroom. Her blonde hair was now tied back in a messy bun that looked not only effortless, but elegant; it was just the kind of thing that Rory could never pull off. Alicia's pressed khakis and button up white blouse made Rory feel under-dressed in her old jeans and navy sweater. _

_ Joanne was short. She had a slim waist but her hips ballooned out from her. Her figure was very "motherly," and Rory wondered whether that had some effect on her personality. In the short time that Rory had known her, Joanne had made sure that Rory knew she was the den mother of the staff. _

_As soon as Alicia had finished showing her around, Joanne scooped Rory up and went through the Princetonian's gears and cogs. She introduced Rory to all of the other reporters and to the photographers, or the "photogs" as they were commonly referred to. _

_ "So Joanne," Rory said, "Jess is a junior like you?"  
_

_Joanne shook her head. "No," she said, a bit testily, "he's only a sophomore." Joanne said this as if it made Jess less of an editor. Just as Rory was about to say something else, Joanne added, "He's the youngest managing editor in... well... forever. First underclassmen to ever get an editor position."  
_

_Rory's cell rang. "Sorry," she said to Joanne, "I need to take this." She held her phone to her ear. "Hello, Jaime?"  
_

_At this, Joanne's eyes seemed to flash with some strange emotion. She stared at Rory.  
_

_"Yeah, " Rory said into the phone. "I'm doing fine. Stop worrying about me." She gave Joanne an exasperated look and rolled her eyes. "Yes. Yes. I told you, yes! Fine. I'll talk to you later." She hung up, a troubled look on her face. Joanne looked concerned. "Oh," Rory said, noticing Joanne's face, "it's nothing. He's just way too concerned about me."  
_

_"You know Jaime?" Joanne asked, feeling ridiculous because she was asking a question that she already knew the answer to.  
_

_"Only for a year or so, but yeah. Why?"  
_

_"No reason." Joanne looked down at her shoes, her cheeks a brilliant scarlet. "I just, I don't know..." her voice trailed off. "Never mind."  
_

_Rory realized why Joanne had suddenly lost the gift of words. "You like him."  
_

_Joanne said nothing, only looking sheepishly at her. _

_"He has a girlfriend."  
_

_"I know." Joanne's voice was laden with sadness. Rory couldn't help but pity her as Joanne's eyes started to water. _

_She quickly recovered, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve. Her face now held a bright smile that only looked a little forced. "Well, Rory, where were we?"  
_

_She showed Rory where all the jocks hung out, where all the professors spent their time when they weren't teaching. She introduced Rory to the best coffee cart on campus (coincidentally, the same one she had first seen Jess leaning against). And finally, she walked Rory to what Joanne called "The best library on campus." It was the only library that held all of the Princetonian's archives, dating as far back as 1898.  
_

Rory stared at her finished piece. She had to admit-- it wasn't bad.

* * *

"I can't believe you made me go to a movie about dancing penguins." Jess and Alicia walked out of the movie theatre.

Alicia laughed, "Jess, admit it. That movie made your heart grow a few sizes."

"Whatever." Jess wrapped an arm around Alicia's shoulders. At five foot nine, he was a good two inches shorter than she was. But Jess didn't mind. Alicia was gorgeous, funny, and brilliant-- everything that he had ever wanted in a girl. However, she always seemed so unattainable. It was almost as if he had her now, but "now" wouldn't last very long. Plus there was that whole, "We're non-exclusive" thing she seemed so keen on.

* * *

It was ten o'clock. Jess had just gotten back to his dorm and he was already tired of watching Jaime, his roommate, breathe in and out, murmuring his girlfriend's name when he exhaled.

_And he says I'm whipped,_ Jess thought. He wasn't tired, so he decided that he might as well get some work done. He put on his shoes and set out to the Princetonian's headquarters.

* * *

Rory had just set her rough draft down on the managing editor's desk. Sure, it was late, but she just needed to get it handed in. Feeling much better after her story was added to the pile on Jess' desk, she couldn't help but steal a look at the materials surrounding it. His laptop was no longer obscuring the five or so books stacked on his desk. Looking around, she casually picked up the first one.

"Howl," she read aloud. She had this book in her dorm. She opened the slim volume, and was surprised to see the pages filled with notes. Chancing fate, she sat down in his chair, and started to read his intelligent musings.

**Ten Minutes Later**

Rory was just beginning to get into her reading when a bell startled her. She looked up, praying that who had entered wasn't who she thought it was.

"What are you doing at my desk?"

Jess' voice wasn't angry or annoyed; it was just curious. Rory's hands started to sweat. "I was just a... I noticed that you um... I saw your margin notes."  
Jess smirked.  
"What are you doing here anyway?" Rory asked him.

"I could ask you the same question," Jess said, mocking her (but only a little), "And since I am the editor and you are the reporter, I think you would need to answer it before I did."

Rory scoffed. She stood up from his desk and attempted to make her way to the exit, but he took a step to the side, intentionally blocking her way. Jess couldn't help it. He just really like messing with this girl.

She looked at him, rolled her eyes, and tried to get around him. He just blocked her way again. Getting angry, she snarled, "What are you? Four? Move."

Smirking, he locked his eyes on hers. "What's the magic word?" he asked sweetly.

Rory sighed. "Move, please."

"Now," Jess' smirk grew wider (if that was even possible), "was that so hard? Did it kill you to be nice?"

"Yes, it did," Rory said, with a matter of fact tone. "I can feel myself going into heart failure as we speak. Now would you move? I'd like to get to my dorm room so I can die in a comfortable bed, instead of here, arguing is you."

Struggling to hold in a chuckle, he moved to the side, giving Rory plenty of room to pass. She stepped past him, and walked out of the room.

As Jess watched her retreating figure, he smiled to himself.

Maybe this non-exclusivity thing wasn't all that bad.

_**Author's Note: I would love you to review. I want to know what you think. Most of this was kind of a filler chapter, but come on. I threw in a little Jess/Rory action at the very end. **_

_**I'm a little concerned about Jess' character. I feel I'm making him a bit OOC. But remember: Yes, this is still Jess, but it's Princeton Jess. And (now that I'm rereading) it seems a little weird for Jess to be all against the non-exclusivity thing one moment, and for it the next, but Jess feels some crazy attraction to Rory, and he just can't help himself. AH! Okay, I'm going to sleep. I got two hours last night, so I going to be damned sure to get at least eight tonight.**_

_**Goodnight, and review! (*with best baby face pout*Pwease?)  
**_


	4. Missed Deadlines and Apologies

_**Author's Note: I understand that Rory and Jess are the same age in the show, but I wanted Jess to be older than her in this story. I feel it works better with the rest of the setting. **_

_**I'm too tired to write anything else. Enjoy. I'm going to sleep.**_

* * *

**2:00 in the Newsroom**

_I'm a loose bolt_

_Of a complete machine_

_Capitalize, dumbass... commas are not just for flavoring... how the hell did this idiot get into Princeton?_

Jess was editing stories for the next day's _Princetonian_. Everyone's writing was good, but the amount of simple mistakes that these fledgling reporters made annoyed Jess. His internal conflict was interrupted by a voice.

"Here it is." Rory dropped a stack of three typed pages on Jess' desk.

Jess glanced at the pages before looking up at Rory. "This was due two hours ago." His tone was clipped (those damn commas were still on his mind).

"I know," Rory began, " and I had it done two hours ago, but it didn't feel quite right."

"It was due two hours ago," Jess repeated.

"It's in now. Edit it."

Jess stood up, his _editor mode_ fully engaged. "I know that two hours doesn't sound like much to you now," he spat venomously, "but time is money. Two hours is a _lot_ of time. If you pilled this kind of _shit_ at a major newspaper-- no, any newspaper, you'd be fired."

Rory looked a little scared as Jess' voice grew harsher.

"Deadlines are set for a reason." He picked up Rory's story and rolled the papers into a tube. "If you," he gestured to her with her story, "aren't satisfied with your piece, I don't really give a damn. You turn it in."

Rory was tearing up, but Jess wasn't done yet.

"I will decide if a story is good or not. Take this," Jess shoved Rory's story at her, "and get out of my sight."

Rory held the papers and stood for a second. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on the papers. She looked at Jess, who stared coldly back at her. Then she turned and walked slowly out of the newsroom.

Jess sat back down at his desk and picked up his special red pen, intent on finishing the day's edits. However, a small hand shipped it ou tof his grasp.

Jess looked up and was met with Joanne. She was livid.

"What was that all about?" Her hazel eyes were bright with fury.

Jess could do one of two things. He could acknowledge the chewing-out he had just given Rory, or he could play dumb. He chose the latter.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Joanne poked him, hard, on his cheek with his pen. "Why were you so hard on her?"

He gritted his teeth. "Aren't we supposed to be preparing them for a real newspaper environment? The _New York Times_ would not tolerate a missed deadline."

Joanne put on her mother hen face. "But we aren't the _New York Times_. And she's still new. Jess, you shouldn't take out your frustrations over Randall's total lack of punctuation skills on Rory."

"Hey!" a blonde boy yelled from across the room.

Joanne looked apologetic. "Sorry Randy." She focussed back on Jess. "This really isn't fair to Rory."

Jess felt a twist in his stomach, but ignored it. "She missed a deadline," he put simply. "That's not my problem."

Realizing that she wasn't going to get Jess to change his decision, Joanne sighed dejectedly and walked back to her desk.

Jess stared at the story in front of him, but made no move to start editing it again. He was thinking about Rory... and Joanne had neglected to give him his special red pen back.

Maybe he had been a little unfair-- snapping at her like that. And yes, it hadn't been all her fault. But her late story when they were already behind schedule had pushed him over the edge.

He'd fix it later, he decided. Right now, he had to focus on these edits.

"Jo," he spoke, "Give me back my pen!"

* * *

**TWO HOURS LATER**

Alicia looked as Jess edited the last story on his desk. She hadn't seen Jess' little talk with Rory, but Joanne had given her an overview.

He was tense, that was obvious. She walked up to his desk and tapped him gently on the shoulder.

"Hey," she said softly, "I was thinking that we could go out to dinner to-"

Jess cut her off. "Not tonight." His voice was weary.

Alicia was caught off guard. Jess had never turned down so much as a trip to the printers with her, let alone a date. "Oh," she mumbled, "okay." She wandered away. Jess' eyes had never left the document in front of him.

Just then, the door burst open.

"What the hell did you do?!"

Jaime's usually calm voice boomed, echoing between the valleys of the desks scattered around the newsroom.

Jess stood up. "Let's talk abou this outside." He took Jaime by the shoulder and guided him outside. A cool September breeze seemed to cool Jaime's anger.

"Now," Jess turned to face Jaime directly, "you were saying?"

"Rory is on our couch, clutching some papers to her chest, crying her eyes out. The only words I can get out of her are 'story,' 'Jess,' and 'late,'" Jaime said. "Would you care to tell me what that is about?"

Jess had his hands in his pockets and now proceeded to dig them deeper into the denim. "I may have yelled at her for missing a deadline."

Jaime's anger returned full force. "What the hell, Jess? Didn't I ask you not to-"

"Yeah, I know," Jess interrupted, "and I'm sorry. But I was having a bad day."

Jaime still looked angry, but his harsh gaze softened as he took in Jess' appearance.

He had bags under his eyes, and he was still dressed in the same clothes he had on yesterday.

_Probably from an all nighter in the newsroom_, Jaime assumed.

"Okay," Jaime said. "I'm going to go kick a crying girl off my couch as gently as I can. Go, get back to your work."

* * *

**FIVE HOURS LATER**

Jess was the only one in the newsroom. He had just gotten out of his Advanced Calculus class and was now attempting to finish the last page of the Princetonian.

There was a blank spot halfway down the page, and he had nothing to fill with with. A little voice spoke up in the back of his mind.

_You have to apologize_, it said. Jess tried to ignore it the best he could, but the voice was so insistent. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and went out into the night.

It was severaly minutes before he found his way to what he believed to be her dorm building. Knocking on the door, he prayed that he had the right room.

When Rory opened the door, Jess noticed that her eyes were puffy. At that, Jess felt a twinge of guilt. Swallowing his pride, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you about your story. There's a blank spot on the issue with your name on it. I can place your story tonight."

Rory broke out into a smile. On an impulse, she stepped forward and enveloped Jess into a hug.

He was startled for a second, but eventually wrapped his arms around her slender form. She smelled so good-- like strawberries and sunflowers. Jess' nose was tickled by Rory's soft locks. He never wanted to let go.

She broke the hug.

Rory stepped back, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. She clasped her hands behind her back. "I should probably go uh... go get that story." She spun around and grabbed the papers from her desk. "Here," she handed the story to Jess. "It's saved under the common file."

"Right... Okay." Jess looked at the papers in his hand and then back up at Rory. "I'll just edit this then." He turned to walk out of the dorm room.

"Jess," Rory caught him by his jacket sleeve. He turned to stare into her captivatingly blue eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled and Jess smiled back.

Ten minutes later, Jess sat back at his desk. He put the paper in front of him and pulled out his special red pen. But after looking at the paper for only a moment, the pen's cap was back on.

Jess picked up Rory's paper and smirked.

The damn thing was perfect.


	5. Pastrami on Rye

_**Author's Note: Okay, so I'm not going to lie to you. This chapter is all filler. But I might (and I stress that might) update later tonight if I get an inspiration or something... as of right now in the story, Jess is still "with" Alicia, but his feelings for Rory are developing. Jaime isn't in this chapter, but he will be in the next one. LL make a special appearance in the middle of this chapter, and will also appear sporadically through the rest of the story. I have a plan for the Paris/Jaime relationship. That will come into play in the next chapter.**_

_**Enjoy!  
**_

**

* * *

The Day after the Hug**

Jess looked at his pastrami on rye. He wasn't hungry. He had no plans to eat this sandwich. It was on his tray only out of habit. The sandwich was a routine, as was the iced tea accompanying it. He was now engaged in a staring contest with this sandwich, the olive impaled on a toothpick stuck in the sandwich acting as a rather gruesome eye (the pimento was dangling, slowly falling out of the olive's pitless center).

That was how Rory found him: sitting, hands clasped in front of him, eyes locked on his food.

"Jess," she said jokingly, "you don't have to stare it down. It's already been caught. You are free to eat it. No intimidating necessary." Rory put her tray down and sat in the seat in front of Jess. She picked up her hamburger and began to eat. Jess decided that he just wasn't going to get the olive to blink, shifted his eyes to Rory. She was already halfway done with her burger.

"This burger is good," Rory said, pausing to wipe a dribble of catsup off her chin, "but my mom's friend Luke makes 'em so much better."

Jess said nothing, as she began to talk about her hometown of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. She spoke of her mother and Luke Danes (the name sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't for the life of him remember where he had heard it). She spoke of how the two were soul mates, but hadn't realized it yet. She talked about her musically obsessed friend Lane. She mentioned the town busy-bodies Miss Patty and Babette.

Jess didn't want to interrupt her ramblings. Rory's voice was so musical, so passionate as she recounted to him tales from her town. He was mesmerized by the changes in pitch of voice, captivated by the way her lips moved as she sounded the words. He had to force himself to keep his eyes from drifting to her mouth every five seconds.

"Jess?" Rory waved her hand in front of his face. "You still there, buddy?"  
Jess shook his head to clear his thoughts, "You were saying?"

"I asked you how things were going with Alicia."

His mood immediately soured. "It's…" his voice trailed off. "It's not going well."

"What do you mean?" Rory sounded concerned. "I thought you were head over heels for her."

Jess stared at the area of space just to the right of Rory's ear. "Yeah," he said, pensively. "I did, too."

**

* * *

A Week Later: Parents' Day**

"Luuuuuuuuke!" Lorelai called, entering the Luke's Diner.

A man in plaid appeared from behind a curtain behind the diner's counter. Luke, as was usual, hadn't shaved. He walked up to Lorelai who had plopped herself down on the diner's stool. "What do you want?" he asked her, knowing the answer.

"Coffee!" Lorelai cheered.

Luke shook his head. "That stuff will kill you. Tell you what, I'll go back in the kitchen and get you some fresh orange juice."

Lorelai laid her head down on the linoleum counter. "Luke, if I don't have coffee, I'll die." She started to pick up the pace of her breathing. "I'm going, Luke. I can see the light… You have the power to end my suffering. If only… if only."

Luke rolled his eyes, but reached underneath the counter and grabbed a mug. He placed it in front of her, and filled it with coffee.

Lorelai's condition was immediately remedied. "You," she said, picking up the mug, "are a saint." Luke ignored her and handed Kirk a plate of toast, crusts off. "Seriously, though," Lorelai continued, adding more passion to her voice, "Get me a phone. I need to call the Pope. He needs to know that there's a miracle worker in our midst."

"Lorelai, I'm busy."

"I mean the way you pulled me back from the brink like that. Amazing."

Luke was filling the coffee filter. "I only gave you coffee."

Lorelai picked up her mug and stared at it.

"What?" Luke asked, annoyed.

Lorelai looked at him with wonder. "I've never seen miracle coffee before."

**

* * *

Meanwhile, at Princeton**

Rory's step had a bit of extra bounce to it as she entered the Princetonian's newsroom. She hummed a song as she finished typing her piece for the next issue, and she practically skipped to Jess' desk with her final copy.

"You're chipper," Jess noted.

Rory beamed at him, ignoring his sarcasm. "It's Parents' Day, Jess! My mom is coming up."

"Oh right," Jess said, picking up his red pen to edit Rory's story (even though he knew he wouldn't need it). "I forgot that was today."

"Aren't your parents coming?"

He shook his head, making his untidy black hair even messier that it had been. "My folks aren't really the 'Parents' Day' kind of people."

"Jess," she said; her voice was gentle, "I'm sorry."

He smirked, somewhat thinly, up at her. "Don't be. I wouldn't be that into it, even if they did come up."

"You should hand out with me and my mom," Rory suggested.

"I don't think-"

She interrupted him. "That's what you'll do." She grinned broadly at him. "I'm meeting my mom at the coffee cart, you know the one—where I met you. You can come with me. We'll grab some coffee and then we'll go."

Jess looked at her, and seeing how excited she was, gave in. "Fine. What time are we meeting her?"

"Two o'clock." Rory did a little dance. "Jess, this is going to be so much fun. You are just going to love my mother. And she's wanted to meet my new college friends." She pranced back to her desk, humming again.

Jess checked the time on his computer. It was noon. Two hours to meet Lorelai Sr. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't like he was dating her daughter, or anything.

_**Author's Note: Reviews are my best inspiration. *hinthintwinkwinknudgenudge***_


	6. Conviction and Cheaters

_**Author's Note: Please, don't get too used to this updating regularly thing. I am a true nerd in the fact that school consumes my life. So once break is over, I will update sporadically-- sometimes as often as once a month (oh, goody!). But I'm being serious. Enjoy this while it lasts.**_

_**So, I said that Luke would be in this chapter... he isn't. I'm sorry! But I wanted to kind of draw out some similarities between him and Jess before I formally introduce them to each other. Jaime does make an appearance. He will play a huge part in the next chapter.**_

_**Getting on with things, it's almost one in the morning here in the lovely, wonderful, and flat Kansas, so I'm going to bed.**_

_**Enjoy and review (please?)**_

_**PS: I threw one or two pop culture references in this chapter, but I just wrote this... as in, I wrote it tonight. Gimme a break, I'm tired. :)**_

_**

* * *

**_

**1:57 at the Coffee Cart**

_I'm coming apart at the seams_

_Pitching myself the leads in other people's dreams_

_Now Buzz Buzz Buzz Doc_

_There's a hole where something was Doc_

_There's a hole where something was  
_

Lorelai stood, coffee cup in hand, waiting for her daughter. She fingered her phone, pulling up a text that Rory had sent her an hour earlier.

_a friend is coming w/_

_hope u don't mind_

_c u 2! :)_

"Mom!"

Lorelai looked up to see her mini-me walking towards her. A man was following, one hand shoved as deep into his pocket as it could go, and the other was at his side and holding a thin paperback. _That must be the friend she texted me about,_ Lorelai thought.

"How was the drive up?" Rory asked.

"It was good," Lorelai replied, still eyeing the boy behind her daughter. "You," she said to the man, "what's your name?"

He stared at her for half a second, but managed to open his mouth. "Jess," he said.

"Ah," Lorelai began, "so you're Editor Jess. I hear you also write."

"I'm a regular Don Marquis," Jess said.

"Huh," Lorelai mused. "I would've guessed more Andy Rooney."

"I actually auditioned for that role," Jess said, "but was turned down due to a lack of required eyebrow hairs."

"I'm Rory's mom." Lorelai held out her hand.

Rory elbowed him subtly, and he forced himself to reach out his hand. Lorelai took it. Jess gained enough control of his lips to draw out a fairly painful "Nice to meet you, Ms. Gilmore."

"Call me Lorelai," she insisted, noting the strain in his words. "Ms. Gilmore is my mother. Rory, did you get coffee?"

Rory shook her head. "I was going to get it here."

"Okay." Lorelai stood back to watch the college students order their usual. Jess' eyes were fixed on Rory's back as she ordered her grande-black-one-sugar-no cream, and this did not go unnoticed by Lorelai.

The two turned from the cart, Rory with a cup, Jess without.

"No coffee?" Lorelai gestured to Jess' empty hands.

Jess started to answer, but Rory got there too fast. "He doesn't drink coffee." Rory made a face. "He drinks _tea_."

Both women shuddered.

"What?" Jess asked, vaguely affronted. "Just because I want to live past the age of forty and, you know, _grow_ a little more, I'm suddenly weird?"

No time was wasted in an answer.

"Yes," the girls said in unison.

The three started to walk down one of the tree lined paths that seemed to be in abundance on any Ivy League campus. "Do you really never drink coffee?"Lorelai asked in amazement.

"Yeah," Jess answered. "I really don't."

Rory poked Lorelai on the shoulder. "He also doesn't eat French fries."

"No!" Lorelai gasped.

"Yes! He says that they're bad for you, or something."

Lorelai grabbed both teens, bringing the group to a halt. "He eats hamburgers, yes?"

"No." Jess said.

"Cheeseburgers?"

"Nope."

"White bread?"

"Wheat and, on the odd occasion, rye."

Lorelai turned to Rory. "He's Luke."

"Carbon copy," Rory agreed.

Jess crossed his arms over his chest, his book now clearly displayed. He started walking. The two Gilmores followed after him.

Rory scrunched up her nose. "Hemingway,? Seriously, Jess?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I asked you not to bring a book. You didn't listen to me, and you brought a _Hemingway_?"

Jess grabbed Rory's small satchel from her, opened it, and pulled out a copy (well, actually, his copy) of _Kitchen Confidential_. Rory immediately snatched her purse back, grabbing the book with it.

"Well," Rory started, "at least I had the decency to hide it in a purse."

"I'm sorry _Paris_," Jess said, his voice sarcastic but humorous. "I didn't think to bring the new Coach daddy bought me this weekend at Barney's."

Rory played along. "And it would go so well with your Prada pumps, Brittany."

Lorelai smiled, watching the two keep this charade up for a full fifteen minutes. By the time they had finished, the trio had reached the headquarters of the _Daily Princetonian_.

Rory lead the way into the building, Lorelai behind her, and Jess falling in last.

* * *

Alicia was putting the finishing touches on that day's cover when she saw Jess enter the newsroom with Rory and some other woman. She sighed to herself. She had noticed him drifting away ever so slowly, noticed that it started when he met Rory. She was more his speed, she decided. She was going to actually be there, instead of in Chicago which was where Alicia was going at the end of the year.

Jess and Rory had so much more of a connection than Alicia had ever had with him. She loaded her stapler, trying to avoid the unavoidable. She checked her email, watching Rory show the strange woman around the office, Jess making an occasional comment. She organized all the reporters drafts alphabetically by topic then by last name as Jess explained the importance of a working copier on the premises. Just as they were leaving, she stood.

"Jess," her voice was unsteady. "Can I talk to you?"

Jess motioned to Rory, conveying that he didn't need to be waited for.

Alicia knew what she had to do.

Rory was watching C-SPAN, her roommate Angela (an aerial engineering major) passed out in the room next to her. Her feet hurt after giving the full walking tour of the Princeton campus to her mother. She was slightly put off when Jess didn't meet back up with them after his chat with Alicia. _He probably went out with her or something_, she thought. She was surprised by the sour feeling in her stomach at the thought of Jess being with Alicia.

Rain beat at the window of the dorm/suite she had scored her first day on campus. It had started pouring an hour before; two hours after her mother had left for Stars Hollow.

_I don't like Jess,_ Rory thought. _I mean, I like him, of course… but not like that. Not in that way._ But still, her insides twisted at the thought of him and Alicia _cuddling _somewhere. But she quickly blocked that thought from her mind. _After all_, she thought,_ Jess doesn't really seem like the cuddling type_.

Her musings on Jess were interrupted by a desperate banging at her door.

As she opened the door, Rory was met by Jaime. He was drenched, and his eyes were red and puffy. She stepped aside, letting him come in. "Jaime, what's wrong?"

He shivered, the agonizing combo of the chilly air outside and his soaked state getting the best of him. His green eyes, so usually full of liveliness, were hollow somehow; as if they were missing something.

Rory waited as he seemed to gasp in a ragged breath.

"Paris…" he started. "Sh-she cheat-cheated…." With that he burst into a new round of tears and collapsed on Rory's heard wood floors.


	7. Getting Drunk and Being Sorry

**LAST TIME**

**+_+_+**

"_Jess," her voice was unsteady. "Can I talk to you?"_

_Alicia knew what she had to do._

+_+_+

"_Paris…" he started. "Sh-she cheat- cheated…." With that he burst into a new round of tears and collapsed on Rory's heard wood floors._

+_+_+

_**Author's Note: Okay, so usually, I never do the "Last Time on Yadda Yadda Yadda" thing, but I felt it needed it here. Sorry I missed updating, but my mom took my computer away for the day. She said that holidays were meant for family... not for writing. But I (always the clever one) found a notebook (I'm on vacation, so finding one was harder than you might think) and wrote this. **_

_**Again, (I'm repeating) don't get used to this whole updating almost everyday thing. Once school starts (Jan 6), I'll be lucky to post once a month. So, savour this while it lasts. **_

_**Enjoy!

* * *

**_

**Forget about Flashing Forward, Let's have a Flashback**

**2:43 in the Newsroom**

_Someone else's eyes, someone else's arms_

_Someone else's obvious moves_

Alicia's moves were careful as she walked towards Jess. She plotted her words, carefully planning where to place which phrase, when to offer the comforting touch on the shoulder. Although, she could tell by now that she wasn't going to need to do anything.

"What's up, Leece?" Jess asked.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself. She knew that this was what both of them wanted; but even so, she'd never been good at ending relationships. It all came out in one breath.

"Jess, we've had a lot of good times, and believe me when I say that I wouldn't trade those times for the world, but I just don't think that we are going to work out because I am leaving come summer, and you and I just aren't clicking like we used to, and I really hope we can still be friends because if we aren't, working together on the paper won't just be unpleasant, it'll be a nightmare."  
Jess took it in, soaking up her words, analyzing their meaning. He looked at her, and smiled.

"I guess that means we're good," Alicia said, also smiling.

"Yeah," Jess said in reply, "we're good."

Alicia walked into her office, and Jess walked to his desk. Joanne approached from his left.

"So," she began, "you and Alicia over?"

"Yep."

Joanne raised her eyebrows. "Don't sound so distraught about it."

Jess looked at his hands, and then at Joanne. "That's just it," he said, another smile surfacing, "I'm not."

"Well," Joanne harrumphed. "You were too short for her."

"Gee Jo," Jess laughed, "thanks."

Joanne picked up a rough draft on his desk. As she looked through it, she started, "But you know who you would be the _perfect_ height for?"

"Who?"

She said nothing, only set back the rough draft back on Jess' desk. Jess picked it up, and smirked, reading over Rory's perfectly crafted paragraphs.

* * *

**One Hour and Fifty-Seven Minutes **

**Later in Cambridge, Massachusetts**

Jaime was on the phone with Rory, regaling her with his plans for the evening.

"So," Rory's voice was excited through the phone, "what did she say when you told her you were coming up?"

Jaime grinned, even though he knew that Rory couldn't see him. "That's the best part," he laughed. "I didn't."

"You didn't tell her?" Rory's tone had changed. She was panicked now.

"No," Jaime said, "she's always complaining about how unromantic and boring I am. This is going to really surprise her."

On the other end of the line, Rory was pacing. "You didn't tell her… Oh my god. Jaime, you should really call her. Do it right now. Hang up with me and call her."

"Rory, calm down." Jaime's voice was the opposite of Rory's: cool, calm, and collected. "It will be fine. I know Paris isn't one for surprises, but it's not like I'm going to see her doing something illegal or stupid. I mean, it's Paris. Everything is going to go just as I planned it."

"Fine. What are you two going to do?"

Back in his car, Jaime was messing with the radio, trying to tune it to Paris' favorite station. "I have a reservation at _Chez-Moi_."

"Snazzy."

Jaime had just crossed the Cambridge limits, and pulled into a floral shop—if he was going to take her to a romantic dinner, he needed to buy her flowers. "Rory, what flowers should I get Paris?"

"Oh Jaime, you big softie."

"What kind?"

"Daisies. White with yellow centers."

"Great." Jaime asked the florist to bring out a dozen of her best daisies. He paid and brought them out to his car. "Paris is going to like these," he told Rory, still on the phone.

"She'll love them," Rory said, "just as much as she loves you."

Jaime smiled, and placed the bouquet carefully on the passenger seat. As he straightened up, he noticed a couple, making out against a car. "Oh, nasty."

"What?" Rory asked, interested.

"An old geezer has got some young hussy up against a car."

"Dirty, but seriously?"

"Yeah," Jaime continued. "They're really going at i-." Right then, the couple changed positions. Now he had a clear view of the 'young hussy's' face.

Rory's concerned calls of, "Jaime? Jaime, are you okay?" could be heard until the phone crashed against the concrete.

* * *

Rory redialed Jaime's cell, frantically punching in the familiar number. It went straight to voicemail. "Oh god," Rory said to herself. A hundred horrible situations went through her mind: Jaime mugged, Jaime beaten, Jaime a bloody smear on the pavement. Then, she stopped herself. She left a message on his voicemail, telling him to call her back. And she waited.

Then she thought.

First about Jaime. Then about Paris. Then about the mess that Paris had gotten herself into over the past month. Then about messes in general. Then her mind landed on Jess, if not for obvious reasons, simply because "Jess" rhymed with "mess."

It was then that Jaime came to her door and poured his heart out to Rory, describing in gut wrenching detail how he caught Paris in the act, telling her how he had known deep down that something was going on.

Rory did what any good friend was supposed to do in this situation.

She listened.

_Jaime stared at his shoes. "I loved her so much."_

She commented.

_Rory patted Jaime on the back, "She isn't good enough for you, Jaime. Forget about her. You can do so much better."_

And she did what has always been the most crucial thing any friend can do:

She got him drunk.

"_Slut!" Jaime slurred. "Nothing but-but a stinking slut. No good Har-Harvard trash!" People at the bar were staring, but Jaime didn't care. _

_Rory was sitting next to him, sipping a beer. Duncan's was just off campus, and was the favorite Princeton hangout. This favor was partially due to Duncan's amazing potato skins and readily available pool tables. Most of it was because Duncan's didn't check IDs. _

_Jaime ordered a scotch, neat of course. It was his eighth. "Rory," he looked at her, his eyes wide with what some might perceive to be innocence. Rory knew they were just dilated from excess alcohol. "Paris never did love me, did she?" _

_Rory stared sadly into his jade eyes, and started to speak, "Of course she-" _

_Jaime cut her off. "Of course she didn't!" He looked up at the man next to him, whom Rory recognized as a member of one of Princeton's prominent fraternities. "Women," he said to the Delta Tau._

_The Delta Tau nodded, adding, "What are you going to do?"_

"_Order another scotch!" Jaime banged his hand against the bar's warped wooden counter. "Bartender, I'll have one more, if you don't mind."_

* * *

Jaime leaned against Rory's small frame. She half carried him to her car and drove him to his dorm.

With Rory's help, Jaime managed to get to his door. He was zoning in and out of consciousness, and Rory hammered on the door, hoping that Jess was home. _Please don't let him still be with Alicia,_ she thought.

Jess opened the door, wearing nothing but his boxers. Rory's face immediately reddened, but Jess made no show to cover himself up. Rory struggled to keep her eyes off of his stomach and chest.

"Jaime," she said, her voice unsteady, "he's a little-"  
"Women suck, man," Jaime burbled, opening his eyes slightly.

"He's wasted?" Jess asked, feeling like Captain Obvious, but needing conformation.

Rory nodded, still somewhat transfixed by his near-nakedness.

Jess took Jaime, wrapping his arm around his shoulders, supporting him. Rory stayed just outside the door, watching as Jess laid Jaime on a dilapidated couch pushed up against a wall.

"I'm gonna make some coffee," Jess said to Rory. "God knows he's going to need some. Do you want a cup?"

Never one to refuse free coffee, Rory nodded mutely.

"You can come in, you know." Jess smirked, noticing how Rory seemed glued to the door frame.

Rory blushed again. "Right." She took a step inside the suite and closed the door behind her. Jess walked into what Rory presumed was his bedroom, and emerged a minute later wearing a t-shirt and jeans. She followed him into a small kitchen off the main room.

"Nice place," she commented.

"Hanging with upperclassmen has its perks," Jess said. He busied himself with making the coffee. The two stood there in the kitchen, a comfortable silence washing over them. A delicious aroma finally brought Rory to speak.

"Oh my god," she said, dashing over to the almost full coffee cup. "That smells heavenly."

"It's just coffee."

Rory smiled, opening the cupboards looking for a cup. "I'm calling God to let him know there's an angel right here on earth."

She poured herself a cup, and brought it to her lips. But, she paused before she took a sip. "Why do you have coffee in your kitchen if you never drink it?"

"Jaime buys it," Jess said dismissively. Rory continued to stare at him. "Just drink the damn coffee."

Rory sipped. And her eyes grew wide.

"This is the best coffee I've ever had. It tastes exactly like- but no." She swallowed once more. "Oh my god. You're Luke."

Jess put his hands up to his chest. "Me. Jess. Me no Luke."

"I don't mean it like that," Rory swatted at him. "I mean that your coffee tastes just like Luke's."

Jess rolled his eyes. Rory continued to drink her coffee. Another silence settled over the kitchen, but this time it was Jess who broke it. "I have an uncle named Luke."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Jess went on, "he sent my mom money sometimes. You know, at Christmas. Or my birthday. I never really knew him-- don't even know what he looks like."

"Oh," Rory said. "Do you wish you knew him?"

Jess stared thoughtfully at Rory's empty cup. Grabbing the pot, he refilled it. "Sometimes I do," he said. "I used to wish that he would come and take me away from my mom. Especially when I was younger."

Rory sat down on one of the kitchen's two stools. Jess joined her. "So, your mom didn't have a lot of money?"

Jess shook his head. "Nope. And any she did come across was instantaneously squandered on alcohol or drugs."

Not sure of what to say, Rory placed her hand on Jess' forearm. They stayed like that for what seemed like an hour. In reality, it was only three minutes and forty-six seconds.

"How are things going with Alicia?" Rory asked, repeating her question from early that day.

"They're not."

She looked into Jess' eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not," he said. He rested his hand over hers, still on his arm. Rory licked her lips. Jess leaned in and their lips touched. Fireworks exploded behind his eyes, and she felt as if a foghorn was blasting inside of her chest. The kissed lasted for only two seconds. When they parted, it took a moment for their hearts' beating to regulate.

"That was," Jess started, but Rory crashed her lips onto his before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

_**Author's Note: I suck at writing kissing scenes. I'm just not good with that whole mushy-gushy-lovey-dovey crap. I really tried to draw this moment out. I hope it's okay.**_

_**"For me, it's about writing the character more than writing the action the character is preforming. Anyone can write action. It takes a real writer to write character."**_

_**---Liz McGregor**_

_**That's a quote. From me. You know, if I ever write a book and become a famous author that people actually want to quote... There it is. It's even in those snazzy quotation marks... :)  
**_


	8. And Now For Something Schnappy

**So, this totally sucks. And it's been over a year and half. And I'm a horrible person. And this update is woefully too short. **

**But please, find it in your hear to forgive me. I have been so busy. I'm at this intense summer program at my university, trying to earn some more credits because my ROTC class doesn't count toward my overall course reqs for graduation. Alas, I'm taking 18 and 21 hour semesters and I sort of want to kill myself. I had some extra time, so I decided to write this little bit. Hopefully (except for the length) it doesn't disappoint.**

**-Liz MacGregor**

Rory opened her eyes. It was dark. For a split second, she didn't know where she was. Then the events of last night came crashing back into her mind. Jaime. Paris. Paris cheating on Jaime. Jess. And the alcohol.

Oh, the alcohol.

_Twenty seconds after the kiss, Jess and Rory were engaged in a entertaining round of _Who will break the awkward silence first?_ Neither was about to budge any time soon. Their eyes were locked, both sets glassy, Jess and Rory both refusing to blink. _

"_As fun as this is," came a voice from the bedroom, "I think we ought to have another round."_

_Rory turned, only a hint of disappointment readable on her features as she took in the disheveled and drunk Jaime Bridgeport. _

"_Sorry buddy," Jess said. "Bar's closed."_

"_That's preposterous," Jaime started in a surprisingly convincing of John Clease. "A bar is never closed if you have enough money." He wobbled towards Rory and gently (or, as gently as one can while inebriated) nudged her to the side, allowing him to open a cabinet drawer. He pulled out a large bottle of cheap peppermint schnapps. _

"_Breakers, Jess?" Jaime asked. "Really? I didn't know they packaged schnapps in a plastic bottle. Ah well, booze, as they say, is booze." He unscrewed the cap and took a generous swig. "What is this? Eighty proof?"_

"_Ninety," Jess corrected him._

"_Ninety. Good." Jaime swallowed another mouthful. He then offered the bottle to Rory. _

"_No, thank you," she said, waving her hand in front of her in a motion that said, "I never touch the stuff."_

Liar, she thought to herself. She made her way to the small bathroom at the end of the hall. Opening the medicine cabinet, she saw that the Tylenol had been placed in front of the five or so bottles of vitamins.

"Nice to know these boys have their priorities straight," Rory mumbled, popping the top off of the bottle and dry swallowing two small pills.

"Pass me a couple, would ya?" She was startled by the unexpected voice, and dropped the bottle of Tylenol. When it hit the water in the toilet bowl, the splash reverberated seemed to echo, the only noise separating Rory from Jess.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I've gotten through much worse hangovers without Tylenol. I can handle this one."

_Jess grabbed the bottle out of Rory's hands. "You-" he started, "You've had enough." _

"_No, no, no," Rory swatted at him, "no, no. You've had more." _

_Jaime plucked the Breakers from Jess' grasp, "I'm the one who is being consoled. I believe I shall drink the lot." He tipped the bottle over his head, gulping loudly for a few seconds. When he brought the bottle down, he wiped his mouth with the corner of his striped oxford. "This is shit, Jess."_

_Jess rolled his eyes._

"_Why are you trying to make me drink shit, Jess?"_

_Jess reclaimed his bottle. "Doesn't look like I'm having to do much in the way of force there, Jay." He took a sip before shoving the bottle in Rory's direction. Without hesitation, she took it and polished what was left. _

"I don't usually drink like that."

The vibrant shad of pink her cheeks were turning amused Jess. He reached out for her elbow and guided her towards him. "Chill, Gilmore. You're fine." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. Just then, a loud buzzing filled the air. Both teens groaned, their headaches still prominent.

"Stop hitting the fucking ringer," Jess called out as he left Rory, headed for the door. Rory followed him, wanting to punch whoever had just inflicted that torturous racket upon her. She stood behind Jess as he opened the door to the small apartment.

The person outside tried to speak, but was cut off before she even could begin.

"What do you want?"


End file.
